LeBron James Gives EMOTIONAL Speech about Kobe Bryant

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome LeBron James before I begin the

speech

I have. I want to recognize all the lives that were lost on Sunday morning ELISA Altobelli John Altobelli Carrie Altobelli Payton Chester Sara Chester Christina Mauser our era a banya Gianna Bryant and Kobe Bryant Now I have something written, no, they asked me to stay the course or whatever the case may be, but then man of the nation I would sell them all except if I read the first thing that comes to mind, the man is all about family. and as I look around your arena we are all grieving, we are all hurt, we are all heartbroken when we go through things like this, the best thing you can do is lean on the shoulders of your family and from Sunday morning until the end.

To this point I heard about Laker Nation before I got here last year, about how familiar it is and that's absolutely what I've seen this whole week, not just from the players, not just from the coaching staff, not just from the organization, but from everyone, everyone here, this is truly a true family and I know Colby, Gianna and Vanessa and everyone, thank you all from the bottom and with a heart, like Kobe said. Now I know that at some point we will have a tribute for Kobe, but I look at this I look at this as a celebration tonight this is this is a celebration of 20 years of the blood, the sweat, the tears, the broken body, getting up there, sitting first and foremost in the countless hours, the determination to win as As great as he may be, tonight we celebrate the boy who came here at 18 years old, retired at 38 and became probably the best dad ever. could see in the last three years.

Tonight is a celebration before we can play, I love you all. Tobias was a brother to me and from when I was in high school to seeing him from afar to making it to his league at 18, seeing him up close, all the battles we had throughout my career, the one thing we always shared is that determination of I just want to win, I just want to be great and the fact that I'm here now means a lot to me. I want to continue along with my teammates to continue his legacy not only during this year but as long as we can play the game of basketball that we love because that is what Kobe Bryant will long for so much in the words that Kobe Bryant Mamba comes out but in the words of we not forgotten live brother you